House Republicans are expressing frustration with the structure of a skinny reconciliation bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, creating obstacles for Speaker Mike Johnson as he seeks to bring the measure to the House floor.
The Senate early Thursday adopted a budget reconciliation framework to fund ICE and Border Patrol for three and a half years. The measure is part of a two-step process to end the record-long Department of Homeland Security shutdown after Republicans failed to reach an agreement with Democrats, who sought reforms to immigration enforcement, to fund the agencies. Republican leaders used the special reconciliation process, which bypasses Democratic obstruction in the Senate, to fund those agencies while the Senate also passed a bipartisan bill to fund the rest of DHS. The agency is warning it will soon exhaust its funding, which it has been using to pay salaries and perform critical functions.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive Democrats have criticized the reconciliation approach as a departure from standard congressional budgeting. The original dispute arose when Democrats sought reforms to immigration enforcement in exchange for funding DHS, demands Republicans rejected. House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith blamed Democrats for the situation, saying: 'It's reckless that the Democrats put the American people in this kind of position by refusing to fund our homeland when we're in a military conflict. So we have to use every tool in the toolbox to make sure that we protect Americans, because Democrats don't care about protecting Americans, they're fighting for illegal immigrants.' Some progressive advocacy groups have argued that separating ICE funding from broader DHS appropriations undermines congressional oversight and creates precedent for bypassing bipartisan negotiations on immigration policy.
What the Right Is Saying
Hard-line conservatives in the Freedom Caucus have long opposed splitting ICE and Border Patrol funding from the rest of DHS. Rep. Keith Self said he would not support the Senate framework as-is, preferring to fund all of DHS together. Rep. Chip Roy expressed skepticism about whether a broader reconciliation bill will materialize, saying: 'We ought to be doing more. I don't think you're going to have the coalition to do that. And if you walk away from something broader right now, you're walking away from something broader, and I think that's a mistake.' Roy said he was unsure if he would support the skinny ICE and Border Patrol funding bill. Rep. Ralph Norman, a Freedom Caucus member who sits on the House Rules Committee, said he doesn't know if he'll support the budget blueprint and wants discussion before voting. Norman said he'd be open to including defense spending and Iran supplemental funding in a reconciliation bill if it has offsets.
What the Numbers Show
The Senate adopted the budget reconciliation framework in the early hours of Thursday morning. The bill funds ICE and Border Patrol for three and a half years, representing an unusual length for a continuing resolution. DHS has warned it will soon exhaust its funding used for salaries and critical operations. President Trump has said he wants the package completed by June 1. The reconciliation process allows Republicans to pass funding with a simple majority in the Senate, bypassing the 60-vote threshold typically required to advance legislation. The original DHS funding bill that triggered the shutdown dispute was a continuing resolution that began in late 2025.
The Bottom Line
The skinny ICE and Border Patrol funding bill faces an uncertain path through the House, where hard-line conservatives are demanding assurance that a broader reconciliation package will follow. House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington said the skinny bill will not get the support needed unless members have confidence in a third, more comprehensive reconciliation bill. 'We're not there yet,' Arrington said, adding that Republicans have been making good progress on the broader bill. Some Republicans, like Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, said they will support the skinny package despite doubts about a broader bill passing later. House GOP leaders aim to fast-track the reconciliation framework to the floor before sending it back to the Senate, where committees will craft funding specifics before final passage. The outcome will determine whether immigration enforcement agencies receive sustained funding through the end of fiscal year 2029.